Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has questioned Manchester United’s decision to axe Ruben Amorim, pointing out that the three most consistent Premier League clubs owe their superiority to a principle of longevity which has been lost at Old Trafford.
Frank was interviewed by United for the manager’s position back in the summer of 2024 when Erik ten Hag was still at the helm. The former Brentford boss would ultimately stay in west London while Amorim hurriedly replaced the Dutchman in November 2024.
After 14 months, 23 defeats and countless moments of brutal honesty, Amorim was relieved of his duties on Monday. Frank, who has faced questions over his future in charge of Spurs after just six months on the job, pleaded for patience from the Premier League powers that be.
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“I think it’s just another example from my point of view that it’s very difficult to achieve sustainable success if you change key personnel in clubs, like the head coach, like the sporting directors,” Frank told assembled media on the day of Amorim’s departure. “I think if you think you have the right ones and you’re aligned, you need to do it over a long time.
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“So now it’s two clubs with one-and-a-half years. Again, I’m not judging it, I’m just saying that’s actually the facts in that sense, there could be many reasons for it, I just don’t know.
In this fantastic, beautiful football world, you win one day and play well, you’re in heaven, you lose and you don’t play that well, you’re in hell.
– Thomas Frank
“The best clubs, they are aligned, ownership, leadership and head coach, over time, and you keep the noise out, and you look at the progress behind it. It goes up and down, and hopefully over time, more and more up, then you achieve something big together. The three biggest, latest examples of that, of course, are Liverpool, [Manchester] City and Arsenal.”
United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had directly cited Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta as an example of longevity for the Red Devils to follow. The Basque boss twice finished eighth with the Gunners before overseeing their transformation into sustained title challengers. However, Amorim was ultimately ousted after he openly questioned the club’s hierarchy, specifically pleading for more influence when it comes to transfers.
Frank wasn’t the only Premier League manager quizzed on Amorim’s departure. Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola would not be drawn into any grand proclamations on the topic but did offer his best to Amorim.
“I can’t say anything out of respect for the players and the institutions of Chelsea and Manchester United,” Guardiola revealed on Tuesday, referencing Enzo Maresca’s recent ousting in west London. “All I can say is Ruben is a top manager. The decision has been made by our neighbours but I wish Ruben all the best for the future.”
Guardiola has previously voiced an eloquent explanation for the stark differences between City and their neighbours. Back in October 2023, shortly before Ratcliffe acquired his minority stake in United, the Catalan coach outlined: “We are in the same direction, chairman, CEO, sport director, manager and the players. Wrong or right, we go there.” Amorim clearly pulled in a different direction.
West Ham United’s Nuno Espírito Santo offered the most heartfelt response to Amorim’s exit. “Like everybody, I was surprised and sad,” he grimly reflected on Monday. “He is Portuguese [like me]. He is a young manager, but this is what it is—I think we are aware that this is how the industry works.”
As Frank pointed out, not every club in this industry works in quite the same way.
